creased until some seven or eight years ago a jwiiit was reached 
where the sheep for mere wool ceased to be profitable. Many flocks 
were sold and those sheep men that continued in the business turned 
their attention to wool and mutton. Many of them still continue to 
use Merino rams, but tlie number of these flocks is constantly de¬ 
creasing and, especially from western Wyoming westward, the use of 
lams or the mutton breeds has become almost universal. These 
Mernio Hocks from ^ the north retain the thick Heece of the orio-inal 
Merino,^ since the climate is not hot enough to thin out the fleece as 
It does in ^ ew Mexico and Texas. Most of the wrinkles disappear, 
but a few remain around the shoulders, and the face has the Merino 
color distinct, being thus easily told from the southern sheep 
wliicli have no wrinkles and very thin wool around the head. The 
lambs are short-legged and consequently not such good travelers as 
the southern sheep, nor do they need to be, for the Wyoming ranges 
VI aveiage much better than the hfew Mexican. The lambs appear 
larger than the New Mexican, but will not weigh quite so much. 
^ rom 4^ to 47 pounds is an average weight on the first of December, 
lliey grow a little more rapidly when put on feed than southern 
sheep, and will stand a little heavier feeding. In May they will 
veigi in Chicago just about the same as the southern lambs; 
and, although the price is hardly lower than for southern lambs, yet, 
It e(|ual bunches were put on the market together, the southern would 
more rapidly find a purchaser. The ewes, yearling wethers, and older 
wet lers of the Merino ^ are heavier than those of the southern sheep. 
1 earling wethers the first of December should weigh from SO to 90 
pounds; old wethers occasionally go over 100 pounds. They fatten 
more quickly than the lambs—much more quickly than the southern 
lambs, hour months’ feeding is always sufficient, and many bunches 
will be ready for market after three months. They should weigh 
in Chicago from 115 to 125 pounds. 
Mutton Sheej ).—There are practically no flocks of pure mutton 
sheep on the range. All the so-called mutton flocks have come from 
using pure-bred rams on the original fiocks. These crosses have 
iisua y een mixed, that is, a ram of one breed has been used for two 
or three years and a change made to another breed. This prevents 
in-breeding, and is considered by some to make a larger and a hardier 
SllGGp, 
^ The Western lambs fed at The State Agricultural College the past 
winter were sired by a Cotswold ram out of ewes that had one South¬ 
down and two Shropshire crosses on the original Merino, and they are 
supposed to be out of the finest bunch of sheep on the whole western 
range. ^ 
. The Cotswolds give the largest frame of any of the mutton breeds; 
but it much of this blood is used it gives too large legs and too coarse 
bones for the best and most rapid fattening, and does not command 
